This is (really) cheesy, but get on board
by IndyPacers on Feb 8, 2012 4:21 AM EST
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Clearly every person that participates on this site is a hardcore Indiana Pacers fan. Up until 53 or so weeks ago it was pretty easy to question why, but that's not how we roll, for better or worse. I love and appreciate you all, even the ones I perpetually think are out of their damn minds.
I don't know who to pin this on. Maybe the franchise isn't marketing itself as well as they could, I'd love a PR blitz with Roy as the face, commercials, interviews on the the 6/8/13 news, I don't know. I'm just downright saddened by the lack of interest.
The team's 17--7. They've beaten Chicago, Dallas, the Lakers, and Boston in their own buildings. The team's chalk full of guys I'd love for my non-existent son to look up to. They're good. Vogel needs someone carrying a boombox with Eye Of The Tiger blaring wherever he goes. There's no more gimmick JOB ball. The Fieldhouse remains one of the greatest basketball venues in the entire world. Tickets are really, really cheap. And hell, the Colts suck and will continue to for the immediate future. People are out of excuses is what I'm saying.
So if the team can't do it, I guess it's up to us. If at all possible buy a buddy a ticket to a game, let him watch Roy drop indefensible baby hooks over all comers. If attending's not an option for whatever reason, just spread the word. Talk about how good the team is to people who love and support IU and Purdue even though both are mediocre (IU's better, let's not get into that, but they're not contextually as good as the Pacers).
Anyway, that's enough emotional ranting. I'm just tired of strolling around Crawfordsville, all of 45 minutes west of Indy, in Pacers gear and getting "Pacers, really?" Followed with "oh, seriously, they're pretty solid?" So just tell a friend, a coworker, a loved one, do what you can to get people involved.
And if that wasn't enough sentimental cheese, I present this for your listening (dis)pleasure.
Honestly, listen to it. Longtime Pacers fans should be able to relate. Too much? OK, you're probably right. But still.
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PG becoming a regular on Sportscenter wouldn't hurt.
1. Target Children
2. Children beg Parents to go to game
3. Parents buy tickets (cheap, shocking prices)
4. Go to game and Have fun
5. They spread the story of their cheap, fun to other parents/co-workers/friends.
6. Pacers future in Indiana secured.
"A champion is someone who gets up when he can't."
- Jack Dempsey
by infinityzero.systemerror on Feb 8, 2012 4:40 AM EST reply actions
PG's the best thing to happen to this franchise since Larry Brown
not just because he’s good, but because he’s “exciting.” Winning games and playing great defense apparently isn’t enough (even in Indiana, ya bunch of fugazis), in the NBA exposure almost entirely depends on highlights thanks to ESPN.
It’s why I didn’t really like that PG double clutch reverse dunk a few days ago against Sota in the spirit of sportsmanship (take that IHSAA and your “coach, I touched the ball”), but it got him on the highlight reel and he admitted as much in the post game. Said guys gave him shit for taking the easy dunk on breaks, such a sin, instead of showing off and even gave a low key Let PG Fly shoutout. (click Like). Look at Philly, really similar team full of good citizens that play team ball. No one cares. Gotta give em the potential ooh and ahh moments I guess.
"He's like Darth Vader." - Frank Vogel on Larry Bird
I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the exciting stuff.
I hope he makes the dunk contest, because that shit could use some freaking excitement. Blake Griffin and Nate Robinson winning the dunk contest is a joke.
"A champion is someone who gets up when he can't."
- Jack Dempsey
by infinityzero.systemerror on Feb 8, 2012 5:21 AM EST up reply actions
don't get me wrong
don’t mean to say I don’t love seeing PG flush one with a couple pieces of flair, I just hate that that’s what the NBA “is” for so many people.
"He's like Darth Vader." - Frank Vogel on Larry Bird
Most people are fans of individual players it seems.
Feels like the team doesn’t even matter most the time. “I’m a Miami fan.” Oh, so I guess you know who Alonzo Mourning is? “Who?” Tim Hardaway? “Oh he played for the Magic.”
I had to look up fugazi and sentimental cheese. You should be proud for filling up my learning quota for the day.
"A champion is someone who gets up when he can't."
- Jack Dempsey
by infinityzero.systemerror on Feb 8, 2012 5:51 AM EST up reply actions
ESPN is a shill for big-market, star-laden teams...
…and not much else. Oh, I suppose they have their uses, in fact they COULD GO ALL THE WAY to the top of the sports heap. But hey, with the coverage they give, there might as well only be eight or so teams in the NBA. They literally support the Miami Heat for the championship on their web site (“We’ve taken our talents to South Beach”), and if you follow a team not on their list you’re SOL.
Sportscenter reminds me of the old Monday Night Football highlights w/ Cosell et al only more slickly packaged and w/ the personalities from that era ripped off and plasticized, the regurgitated for your (short attention span) viewing pleasure.
by Manfred James on Feb 8, 2012 6:33 AM EST up reply actions
Indiana Fans are pitiful
There are no more excuses yet still no one shows up.
When the Pacers eventually leave, I don’t want to here any bitching in Indiana. This is ridiculous. I thought it wasn’t just basketball in this state…
Sadly I live in Florida now…
www.themindofshadow.blogspot.com/
Outside Carmel, Fishers and Greenwood . . . Times are still tough for a lot of people out there and if you have a family its hard to spend money on the Pacers when Disney on Ice or the Circus is in town.
I was at Village Pantry last night and a young mother was trying to buy a box pizza, bag of chips, and a 2-litter on a food stamp card. Her card wouldn’t work or didn’t have any funds and she left. I was at the back of the line and really didn’t realize what was going on, or I would have just paid for it. But after they left it just hit me that the little girl was probably not going to eat supper tonight. It’s sad and the mother is to blame for poor decisions, but the poor kid didn’t ask for that.
That is what it is going on around Indiana, and yeah it’s always been going on. But I (seriously) work in a social services area, and it is the worst it has ever been. The prices for the tickets always seem to be higher, and if the NBA is not carefull this will turn into an event only watched by rich people. Look at tennis for example. It used to get great ratings when it was on TV but most kids now don’t play and don’t care.
Check out my website at www.bradwellssucks.com
The TV issue is huge
When I was a kid games were televised on Channel 4. We didn’t have cable; no one except “rich people” did. When FSMW took over half the games, I literally begged my parents for cable and by the time I hit my junior or senior year of high school they finally gave in and started paying for it (but I’m sure it had more to do with the fact that you could watch different episodes “Law & Order” on like 8 different channels concurrently if you wanted to…and of course Cinemax…God I loved Cinemax). I know damn near everybody has cable now, but it’s just not readily available on the bunny ears like it used to be; that has cut down some interest. So has the fact that the Pacers get ZERO national love. Where are the NBC games? Where are the ESPN games, or Turner games (does TNT still show basketball? I’ve become an NBAtv convert, but I don’t consider that “national” because not every cable subscriber gets it). I think next year we’ll get some more love, but it won’t be enough. I remember when Reggie vs. Jordan or the Knicks was a popular Saturday afternoon national draw during the regular season. We’re going to have to legitimately get back into title contention for a couple years before that happens again.
"You're hitting the wrong person. Don't you know you're hitting Ron Artest?"
Come visit The Fantasy Ninjas. We'd love to hear from you.
Yeah, I have several neighbors that don't have cable.
They like basketball, but can’t watch the games. It would be much better for the fans if they’d air the games on non-cable stations like they used to.
Excellent point, Luke.
times are tough for a lot fo people everywhere
people had no problem spending money on the colts…
ther eis no reason we should be last in attendance.
www.themindofshadow.blogspot.com/
Pretty much ^ this
I’m sorry but there’s a waiting list for people to get season tickets. I agree with people that say how loyal Colts fans are when Peyton eventually leaves and won’t have 12+ win seasons as a regular occurrence.
I understand it’s still touch economically, but the lady who depends on food stamps really aren’t the ones buying tickets anyway even if the economic climate is better.
You can get cheap-o tickets on stub hub and DT has plenty of cheap parking. It doesn’t kill to walk a few blocks.
I love going to games
But unfortunately I’ve only made it to one this year and usually get to 10 max in a regular year. It’s just hard with my kids and my work schedule, considering so many games that are during the week. But this is the year I take my 5 year-old to a game; I think he’s finally ready to sit through the whole thing. My 2 year-old LOVES basketball, but he’s an absolute psychopath, so I doubt he’d last through an entire game without punching someone in the face and stealing their sno-cone. Either way, I’ve consistently gone to as many games as I’ve been able to since I was a kid, but even I’ll admit I don’t get up for them as much as I used to.
One of the things to consider when “marketing” this team to other people who are maybe new to the city, or have kids who are interested in basketball, is to tell them how damn easy it is to get great seats. Not only are they relatively inexpensive by NBA standards, but on weeknights especially you can routinely get the best seats in the house on gameday. This is a far cry from the Colts games people are used to going to, where seats and parking are both harder to come by (or at least have been in the past, we’ll see how it is next season).
I’m a Colts season ticket holder, and I can’t afford both, but if I sell my tickets this year I may buy a couple 10 game Pacers passes for next season with the money I had allocated to go to Colts games. As of now I try to grab tickets when I can. You’re right though, we need to spread the word. Once Indiana does something dramatic in the playoffs and produces this town with a hero or two they can root for, things may turn around. But until then, we’re paying the price for failing to rebuild correctly and, um, fighting with fans.
"You're hitting the wrong person. Don't you know you're hitting Ron Artest?"
Come visit The Fantasy Ninjas. We'd love to hear from you.
Crawfordsville?
I think you mean the Athens of the Midwest. (As an aside, I’m a fairly recent Wabash grad. I love the school, but am not a big fan of the town. On the other hand, I hear you guys just got a Jimmy John’s…)
In regards to all the hoopla about Pacers attendance (or the lack of Hoopla in attendance at Pacer’s game), it might be a bit cliché but I have always heard that attendance lags a year behind performance. And, while the Pacers did make the playoffs last year, they did so as a sub-.500 team that played borderline unwatchable basketball for 3 months in the middle of the season. Also, we’ve only had a month (okay, fine, 6 weeks) of sustained success this season. We managed to look good for that long to start the season last year, with JOB as head coach.
I am not saying that the Pacers are doomed to a repeat of last year, or are not a top-4 team in the East. However, to the average/casual fan, this season probably doesn’t seem all that much different than years past yet. Hell, if I had not received free tickets to 6-7 games last season, I might not have realized how close the Pacers were to competing last year. Give the fans some slack; it takes time to shake off 6 years of futility.
Print It.
Very good points
It may take even longer for fans around here though, given the economy and some other factors (white flight keeps the rich people in the burbs away from the games). But maybe with the Colts sucking people will be back in force. I just think it’ll take a few years of relevance.
"You're hitting the wrong person. Don't you know you're hitting Ron Artest?"
Come visit The Fantasy Ninjas. We'd love to hear from you.
it's a bit of a morale breaker for the players to see empty seats in their building every night
I know some people will blame the economy, but that’s such a weak argument, yeah the economy isn’t great but it’s not like it’s the second great depression. Most of upper level are completely empty on most nights and they are dirt cheap, I think they go as low as 15$ + tax.
by latrell spreewel on Feb 9, 2012 10:51 PM EST reply actions
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